Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fields of computer science, wireless communication and information technology and of oil spill containment. More specifically, the present invention discloses an in-situ fire area monitoring system and uses thereof.
Description of the Related Art
Understanding the science of removing oil by burning is extremely valuable when trying to address environmental impacts. The accuracy of the collected data can help planners respond more effectively to oil spills. However, there has been little progress in Currently, techniques to monitor an oil fire on the open sea utilize a surveillance plane in VHF communication with one or more fleet vessels at sea. A spotter on the plane directs the burn team to thicker burnable oil and subsequently confirms that the fire is out.
For example, a general in situ burning technique utilized today employs boats and fire-resistant booms to contain the spilled oil and to keep it from spreading. The boom, attached to the boats by towing lines, is pulled to form a U shape such that the open end of the U is maneuvered through the oil slick to collect oil at the back end of the boom. The collected oil is burned in situ as the boats pull away from the main oil slick and stay ahead of the current to ensure the burning oil stays at the back of the U shape of the boom. Small, monitoring teams, collecting real-time data using portable instruments, are deployed at various locations, such as downwind or upwind of the smoke plume relay data back to a command vessel.
However, on the open sea, there may be a limited window of opportunity for in situ burning. This requires that the monitoring teams be ready to mobilize, upon notification, fully prepared to reach the burning site by any means necessary within the window, usually a few hours at most. Thus, there is a recognized need in the art for improved systems for monitoring an in situ burning fire area that minimize the risks inherent in current in situ fire burning monitoring operations.
The prior art is deficient in a very low cost, easy to deploy system that is accurate in real-time monitoring and recording data from an in-situ burning fire area. Particularly, the prior art is deficient in in situ burning fire area monitoring systems in which the fire is monitored and the data is recorded from directly within the fire burning area. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.